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How to Stay Cool in the Summer

Temperatures here in Portland sure got sky high this summer! We’re hoping you found ways to stay cool – whether you sat in front of the AC in your home or office, or you headed out to cooler climes on the coast or waterfront. No matter how you weathered the heatwave, there are more high summer temperatures to come!

Here at Integrity Air, LLC, your comfort is our priority. So, we wanted to share some of our favorite ideas for staying cool in the summertime, with and without air conditioning.

How to Keep Your Summer Cool

First, we are going to take a moment to talk about your air conditioning. Whether you have a window unit or a full HVAC system, it’s important to keep your filter clean and to keep the interior system itself clean. Many homeowners with an HVAC system do this by investing in regular maintenance. For those of you with an AC system, you may be surprised at how little maintenance costs and how much money it saves you in the long run. So, be sure to consider getting your AC maintained before next summer rolls around.

Next, we’ll give you a quick rundown of some of our favorite ways to beat the heat – even without the air conditioner on.

At the office

One of the hardest places to stay cool is in the office. If your office space doesn’t have air conditioning or the air conditioner is broken for some reason, try setting up one of those personal fans at your desk – and create a cross breeze by opening a few windows. You might be surprised how much cooler the room can get with a few windows cracked.

Another idea that you can use at home or in the office is to get a cooling pad for your chair, couch, or bed. These aren’t overly conspicuous, so you can still stay cool while looking completely professional.

Finally, adding ice to coffee or other drinks is an excellent way to stay cool. If your office has a freezer, use it! Bring in a couple of ice trays and make ice cubes out of your favorite coffee or tea – or just make regular ice cubes. Adding ice to your drinks every day can be the difference between feeling red-faced and sweaty during a conference to looking calm, cool and collected.

At Home

One of the biggest struggles people come across when trying to stay cool at home is attempting to sleep. Beds are naturally hot, which can make sleeping through the summer heat a real struggle! Here are several techniques you can use to cool down when trying to snooze:

Get that cooling pad for your bed. There are bed-sized pads that you can put under your sheets to keep things crisp.

Put your sheets and pillowcase into the freezer. It may be a little bit of a pain to swap out your sheets every day – but using chilly sheets can cool you down, rapidly.

Create the cross breeze you’ve always wanted. Open the window in your bedroom and open another window in an adjoining room or a room across the hall. For added chilliness, stick a fan in the bedroom window and suck in that cold night air!

Stick to cotton sheets. Cotton is breathable and that can make all the difference when you’re bedding down.

If you’re really desperate, set up an air mattress. Air mattresses are filled with… well, air. So they are much cooler to sleep on than your standard mattress.

On the Go

You may be like us – working outdoors or driving from one stop to the next. Or you could just be out enjoying the summer! No matter what your profession or lifestyle, there are plenty of ways to stay nice and cool as you brave the summer heat. Here are just a few:

1. If you don’t mind looking a little overdressed, consider getting an ice vest! This is a lightweight vest with inserts that you freeze for the ultimate chill as you head out and about in the summer heat.

2. Get a battery-powered – or phone powered – fan. There are plenty of personal fans that you can carry with you or clip to your dashboard. If you don’t mind a light mist, you can always invest in the type of fan that also sprays water at you as it turns.

3. Drink plenty of water. The more water you drink, the more likely your body is to engage its natural cooling process – sweat. Sweating isn’t pretty, but it sure gets the job done!

This summer has sure been a roller coaster ride of temperatures – but there’s no need to overheat! Try our techniques above – and let us know how else we can help! Integrity Air, LLC is here to install, repair, and maintain your cooling system.